Automatic Reflex
by monicawoe
Summary: Written for the ohsam comment-fic meme  inspired by this prompt: Sam lifts a car.


Dean's been working on the Impala for the bulk of the day, every day for the last four days.

Sam watches Dean work sometimes, as long as he can without being a distraction. It's a forced vacation of sorts, and Sam is enjoying it- despite everything that's happened, or maybe because of everything that's happened. With his wall permanently broken, Sam has plenty to deal with. If he isn't vigilant, if he doesn't catch himself quickly enough, he can slide right back into the Cage from one moment to the next. The best remedy he's found so far is to find something familiar and focus on it as much as he can. Being close to Dean and Bobby helps too. They know the signs and they keep Sam from slipping.

"I brought you some water." Sam says, and puts the bottle down next to the Impala's front left tire.

"Thanks." Dean answers, his voice muffled. "I'll be done in like three minutes. Lunch ready yet?"

"I think it'll be a bit. Bobby just got back with the groceries. He was complaining about not having the right pot or something." Sam says, and turns around to head out of the garage.

Bobby is heading towards them, scowling. He walks past Sam, past the Impala and heads to one of the shelving units in the back muttering, " Gotta be here somewhere, damn thing..."

Sam grins at Bobby. The normalcy of it all feels strange and incredibly good. "Want me to help you look?"

Bobby is bent down looking through the contents of the bottom two shelves, "You know where my pressure cooker is? I'm telling you I have looked everywh- Aha!" Bobby yells in triumph. There's a clattering sound and Bobby emerges holding the pressure cooker up victoriously. He turns to head back out and bumps against one of the other shelving units in the back. It wobbles oddly.

As Bobby heads back towards him, unaware of what's happening, Sam watches in horror- time slows down enough for him to see every detail. The shelving unit Bobby brushed against groans as the top shelf collapses. The side panel falls forward and knocks into one of the metal cabinets closer to the front. The cabinet falls backwards and knocks into the Impala's front, knocking her off balance.

"Dean!" Sam yells, running as quickly as he can to the front end of the car.

The left jack-stand tilts and falls, the right jack-stand follows and the Impala comes crashing down. Dean scrambles out from under the front end as quickly as he can, but doesn't clear it in time. He's still half under the Impala when she falls. He clenches his eyes shut more out of instinct than anything else, and screams at the initial impact, which isn't nearly as bad as he'd thought it would be. Shock, probably. A few seconds later he opens his eyes again, when he hears Sam let out a pained grunt.

Somehow, Sam's got the Impala by the fender and is lifting her up. Just enough for Dean to slide out.

Dean gets out from under the car, and stares up at Sam in awe and confusion.

Sam lets go and the front of the car hits the ground with a heavy, metallic clunk.

* * *

><p>After lunch and several shots of whiskey later, Sam gets up from his seat at the kitchen table and feels his lower back seize up. He winces and finds he can't move at all anymore.<p>

"Sammy?" Dean looks up at his brother and can see he's in serious pain.

"My back-" Sam says, "I think I pulled something."

Bobby and Dean maneuver Sam over to the couch and get him as comfortable as they can. Dean convinces Sam to take some Tylenol 3 to help with the pain and Sam only protests a little.

Bobby brings over a stack of books he knows Sam hasn't had a chance to read yet, and wheels in his ancient television. "Here," Bobby says, handing Sam the remote. " No cable, but it gets decent reception on three of the five channels it picks up."

Sam smiles at Bobby weakly and shuts his eyes again as the painkillers kick in.

* * *

><p>When Sam wakes up, the television is in the middle of an "Incredible Hulk" marathon. Sam watches Bill Bixby's Banner wander in and out of towns, going from one crisis to the next- each one weirder than the last. Maybe it's the pastel-tinted haze of the codeine, but Sam's enjoying the show quite a bit. His life has been at least as ludicrous as Banner's and he can relate to never staying in one place for very long.<p>

Dean walks into the living room right in the middle of one of the transformation sequences. Lou Ferrigno, decked out in green body paint and a matching yak-hair wig, runs across the screen, picks up one of the villains of the week and throws him over the top of his car. The villain's cohort starts the engine and tries to drive away, but the Hulk lifts the back of the car up so it can't get traction. Dean chuckles, "Awesome. I had no idea they made a documentary about you!"

Sam glares at him.

"They got the hair right and everything!" Dean barely dodges the half-empty water bottle Sam throws at his head.

* * *

><p>A week later Sam and Dean are sitting in the Impala waving good-bye to Bobby as they get back on the road. They drive in silence for a few minutes. Sam's still groggy from the last few days, but he feels a lot better. He closes his eyes and starts to drift off to sleep again.<p>

Dean starts whistling 'The Lonely Man' theme that plays at the end of every episode of the 'Incredible Hulk'.

Sam doesn't open his eyes, but he does move his left forearm towards Dean and slowly extends his middle finger.

When he's done whistling the entire theme, Dean clears his throat and says, "Thanks, Sammy. I mean it."

Sam opens his eyes and blinks at his brother, "Yeah well, just...don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm- "

Dean scoffs, and turns on the radio.


End file.
